Ten Years
by SuprSingr
Summary: Helga goes to San Lorenzo to visit Arnold, and she's got a question she's been wanting to ask him.


**A/N: SOUP!**

**Just a pointless little One-Shot I had pop into my head. :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own this show! No! No! No! *Electric guitar solo***

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**Ten Years**

**One-Shot**

Helga trudged through the mud behind Arnold, beginning to wonder why she'd went to so much trouble just to come up to this God forsaken land of her youth. She hated it then, and she hated it now. She didn't know HOW Arnold was able to stand living here day after day. It was humid, muddy, and filled with all these disgusting bugs that just _wouldn't_ leave her alone!

She tripped then, only to fall into Arnold's arms, who had turned around to make sure she was still behind him. He blinked in surprise, as she just grinned sheepishly and stood back up, dusting herself off as she murmured a "Thanks..."

Arnold just smiled a warm smile, and nodded, before lifting up a branch so that she could pass under safely. She couldn't help but smile slightly at the gesture as she walked on, Arnold soon following after.

It all seemed a bit awkward to her. Here she was, hiking through the jungle with her ex-boyfriend of about three years now who she was coincidentally _still_ in love with, and so far the only words that had really been exchanged between them had been "Wanna go for a walk?" and "Sure." She felt pretty tense, though she wasn't sure if Arnold felt that way by the small, half-smile on his face. Either he was enjoying seeing her squirm, or he was really enjoying hiking through this bug infested swamp. And both seemed a bit far-fetched, all things considered...

After a while, Arnold had once again hiked himself in front of her, not saying a word, and she began feeling as if she'd explode from all the tension building up inside her. She cleared her throat, trying to figure out a way to break the ice. "So..." She began, not knowing how to finish her sentence.

"I'm glad that you came to visit me."

She was startled by his sudden remark, and actually felt herself stop walking. After a few moments of standing there, she snapped out of her shock, realizing he wasn't going to stop for her, and ran up to walk beside him once more. "You are?" She raised an eyebrow at him, tilting her head at him a little.

He glanced at her, but kept his focus on the trail ahead. "Well, yeah. It can get lonely up here sometimes. There's not really too many people up here other than my parents and I, and the green-eyes. There is a small village not too far away, but not too many of them speak English. And I'm still not exactly fluent in the language. So yeah, it's nice to see a familiar face." He shrugged, the smile not leaving his face.

She felt herself deflate slightly. "Oh." And here she thought she was special or something. How stu-

"And it's especially nice to see _your_ face." He casted her a smile, before turning his attention once again, back to the trail.

She felt herself blank at that, and her insides begin to become a bit shaky. "O-Oh..." She pinched herself on her back inconspicuously, and managed to snap herself back to normal. She smiled. "Yeah, well, I must admit, it's kinda nice seeing your old football face too."

He chuckled, and the deep, rough sound of his laugh sent a wave of warmth all throughout her. She nearly swooned, but managed to keep herself looking casual... she hoped.

He smiled at her a little brighter, responding in amused sarcasm, "Thanks, Helga."

She couldn't help but smile back, though hers was a bit more sarcastic than his. "Any day, Arnold." She pushed some leaves out of their way, and after another several seconds of silence, she noticed he was still smiling. She raised an eyebrow in amusement, and smiled a half-smile in his direction. "What the heck are you so happy about? You've been smiling for..." She thought back, realizing in slight astonishment. "Actually, I don't think I've seen you WITHOUT a smile on your face since I got here."

He smiled a little brighter at her question, and glanced at her as they continued walking down the muddy trail. "I guess I just missed you is all." He shrugged, looking back to the trail with half-lidded eyes, and his hands clasped behind his back.

She smiled softly at him. "Well, to be honest, I... well, I missed you too. Though that should be obvious." Her eyes danced in slight amusement.

He shifted his eyes to her, not moving his head from straight ahead, but just silently watching her with a warm smile. "I guess." He said lightly, before returning his attention back to the trail, and pushing a few more leaves out of their way.

She bit her lip against the question that was nagging at her lips. It was an odd question, but the atmosphere was more comfortable now. Why not? She cleared her throat, fixing one of her pigtails as it was beginning to droop from the humidity.

He looked to her at the sound, waiting for her to say something, as she seemed to want to.

She sighed in defeat, concluding that her pigtails were just going to droop no matter what she did, and looked back towards Arnold, her question aching on her lips. She bit her lip briefly, glancing away, before finally letting out what had been nagging on her mind. "Arnold... um, I was just wondering..." She rubbed her arm a little, before letting her hand drop abruptly, realizing that he'd immediately know from that one gesture that she was nervous. After all, Arnold seemed to be able to read her like a book, and she wasn't sure if she liked that or not. "Where do you see yourself, in say... ten years?" She glanced at him, her eyes gleaming in curiosity.

He blinked in surprise at her question, staring at her with slightly widened eyes. She couldn't help but think he looked adorable like that. He blinked again. "Oh, well," He tilted his head, looking away, as if he was contemplating the question. "I-I'm not sure... I'm more of a right here and now person, you know." He willed himself to look at her again.

She nodded, taking in this information before beginning again, looking at him, "Yeah, I know. But... you can't possibly say that a day dreamer like you hasn't at least thought about it once."

He smiled a little ruefully, realizing she knew him a little too well. "Okay, fine..." He placed a hand to his chin, eyes looking thoughtful, before he glanced at her a little uncomfortably, letting his hand drop as they continued down the trail. "Do you want the honest answer?" He asked lightly, moving a large leaf that was in their way, and shifting slightly so that she could go first.

She smirked at him, crossing her arms over her chest. She walked right past him, brushing by as he mentally noted that she smelled faintly of blueberries. "Is it possible for you to give a _dishonest_ answer?" She asked him in sarcastic amusement, as he began walking along side her again.

He smiled a little, modestly, as he clasped his hands back behind his back. "Well, I-I..." He sighed, giving in. "Okay, in ten years, I see myself... well, done with all my schooling, obviously." He glanced at her, and she smiled, urging him on. Which he did. "Maybe living in a house, maybe apartment, I don't know. In the city, though. As much as I love it out here, I'm a city boy at heart." He blushed a little, though that was the only clear sign of embarrassment, and she only smiled, nodding. "And well..." He blushed a little harder at the next part. "I see myself, married..." He glanced away from her as he added that, and continued, still not looking at her, but instead intent on watching the trees as they passed them, "with a kid or two, or at least with one on the way." He blushed heavily, wincing slightly at all that, and still not looking at her.

She could feel pressure building up inside her stomach, and she bit her lip enough to almost draw blood, before finally asking smally, "I... I was actually, um, you know, expecting some details." She fidgeted in her spot, not noticing that they'd stopped walking in a small clearing. It was shadowy, thanks to all the trees, but there were small specks of sunlight beaming down from above here and there. Some water could be heard rushing from somewhere in the forest, probably from some small river or water fall in the distance, though neither noticed really.

Arnold kept still, his hands stiff at his sides and his fingers lightly tapping against his shorts in anxiousness. He inhaled a deep breath, feeling more heat rush to his face, as he finally muttered out the details of his future plans, "W-Well, I'd live in... Hillwood, I guess, so I could be close to all my friends and family." He began quietly, as Helga could feel her heart beat pick up, knowing that her heart was on the line with what would come from his mouth in a matter of moments. "My child would preferably be a boy, though I really wouldn't mind a girl..." He took another breath, finally muttering out the last bit, even quieter than before, "And I'd be married to..." He swallowed, muttering out the last part unintentionally quiet enough that she couldn't hear.

She rubbed her arm then, up and down, not really caring if he knew how nervous she was. "I-I'm sorry, Arnold. You're mumbling."

He murmured his answer again, and she blinked, feeling herself grow a bit impatient. "_Arnold_..."

He murmured something again, though this time it actually was a bit louder, but she still couldn't hear it fully. She held down the growl that was building in her throat. "Arnold! Come on! It can't be that ba-"

"**YOU**, _okay?_" He boomed, grabbing her by the shoulders with wide, slightly narrowed eyes.

She gawked at him, blinking several times in shock. "W-W-What?"

He blinked at her, his eyes looking a lot less wide and without all the emotion they'd had when he first grabbed her. "...I said you." He told her smally, his grip loosening on her shoulders after realizing he'd actually grabbed her. After another moment, he let go of her shoulders all together and sighed a little to himself, running his fingers through his unruly hair. She hadn't seen him this uncomposed since the day they broke up. She just stared at him with wide eyes, not sure what to think. In fact, she was sure her brain had shut down the moment he grabbed her. So she just stood there, gaping like a fish.

He glanced up at her, feeling small under her questioning blue gaze. He gulped. "I-I, uh, you see..." He faltered, his green eyes looking awkward and slightly pained. He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I, uh... can't really picture myself- I mean... You're the only... I kinda feel..." He groaned a little at his inability of letting out a decent sentence in her presence. "I..." He looked at her with soft eyes, finally able to force out what he wanted to say. "I can't really picture myself with anyone but you." He admitted softly, looking at her through soft, tender eyes that were silently searching her own for some kind of response.

She blinked at him, trying to speak but realizing that she couldn't. Her mouth just wouldn't allow her to.

After a few moments of silence, he began feeling more self-conscious, and decided to try and explain himself better. "I still love you, Helga. I didn't ever stop. Even after three years without ever seeing you or hearing from you, I still can't get you off my mind. I don't know if I'll ever be able to stop loving you, honestly." He sighed, glancing away and rubbing the back of his neck again. "I can't even begin to tell you how much it's killed me to be so far away from you. I miss you more than you could know. Everything seems to remind me of you, and even though I know it's kinda stupid, every time I see something pink out of the corner of my eye, I turn my head so fast that I sometimes think I might have snapped my neck. But it's always just a flower or a bird or something..." He sighed, looking at her again. "And I know that this is probably a lot to take in, but it's true. I really didn't want to burden you with all of this, and I don't expect anything to come from it... I know you probably don't even like me all that much anymore..." He looked down, his entire form drooping a little. But before he could so much as blink, arms were suddenly flung around his neck so forcefully, that he had to take a step back just to keep from falling over. His arms flailed a little, before he suddenly realized that something soft and sweet was against his lips. It took him a moment to process that Helga was kissing him, but once it did process, he froze in complete shock. Before he had enough time to reciprocate though, she pulled back, and he was greeted by two, wide, beaming blue eyes staring at him with sheer joy. "Oh, _Arnold!_" His mouth fell open in shock, as she just giggled at his reaction and nuzzled his cheek, though he was too shocked to really process what was happening. "_Oh_, you angel! How could you POSSIBLY say something like that? Me, not love you? And here I thought we were both perfectly aware of just how much I adore you." She pecked him on the lips repeatedly, before finally settling to just rest her forehead against his to gaze into his shocked green eyes. "Oh, darling, rest assured, I love you with every fiber of my being. Since you left, I've just felt so miserable, writing letter after letter to you but never having the courage to actually send them to you. Oh, _Arnold_..." She cooed with a blissful smile.

He blinked, realizing what was happening finally. In their many years of dating, he'd had many encounters with THIS side of Helga. He knew it really shouldn't have shocked him as much as it was, but he hadn't had an encounter with Helga _at all_ in three years. He was about to pry her off of him as gently as possible and try to snap her out of it, as he usually did, but after another second his brain finally managed to process her actual words. He felt his eyes pool with tears a little, hearing those words from her after so long thinking that she was over him. Despite himself, Arnold couldn't help but forget about her 'little problem' for the moment, and simply grip her as close as he could and let out a painfully relieved sigh with a smile. "Oh..." He relaxed into the embrace, though he was still slightly tense from all the emotions currently playing through his system. "Good..."

She brought a hand up to run the back of her hand down the side of his face, still in her lovesick state, and Arnold couldn't help but relax a bit more at her soothing, gentle touch, especially after so many years of not feeling it.

After several more seconds of blissful silence, Arnold was finally able to come enough back to reality, to realize that Helga was still gazing at him through two very lovesick and dreamy eyes. He sighed, half happily, half amused, and finally loosened his grip on her and attempted to unwind himself from her firm, yet gentle, embrace. She seemed very reluctant to do so, but after a few seconds of struggle, Arnold finally managed to put some space between them. If this was going to happen between them, he'd much rather she be conscious to it all.

She pouted for a few seconds, before Arnold lifted a hand to her cheek, much to her very dazed delight. But, much to her disappointment and surprise, instead of caressing it like she'd expected, he instead began patting against her cheek repeatedly, to try and get her to come back to reality. It seemed to have the desired effect, as she soon felt herself blinking, and her focus coming back on to Arnold (Not that he hadn't been her main focus the whole time before). She blanked then, simply looking at him through dull eyes. "Um... how long was I out?"

He smiled at her a bit sheepishly, letting his hand drop from her cheek. "Not too long."

She nodded slightly, before beginning to rub her arm with her other hand, and feeling the beginnings of a very serious blush creeping onto her cheeks.

He tilted his head slightly at her, still with the small, sheepish smile, before he took a step forward towards her. "So, now that all that's taken care of..." He blushed, taking another step forward, their bodies almost touching. "What now?"

She tilted her head up only slightly, to look straight into his face, before her blush became slightly darker and she lifted the hand that had previously been rubbing her arm up to hover just slightly above his lips, her slim fingers only millimeters from touching them. "Uh... you've got some..." She shifted her hand away from his lips to point at her own, indicating that her lip gloss wasn't quite as bright as it had been before.

And indeed, Arnold's normally pale lips now had a hint of pink on them, and in seeing what she was implying, he quickly wiped away the glossy substance from his lips with his arm, briefly looking down at the slight pink smudge now tainting his arm, with a blush. He swallowed, offering her a sheepish smile, as she offered one in return.

After only a couple seconds, though, Arnold suddenly found himself in the middle of a warm chuckle. Helga blinked in surprise at him suddenly laughing, and furrowed her eyebrows down in bewilderment. Seeing her confused look, Arnold just let out one last brief chuckle, and sighed at her with a smile. "I'm sorry, Helga. It's just... I just realized you were wearing lip gloss now, and now that I think about it... I don't think I can recall you ever wearing it before. And you haven't changed..." He looked her over, blushing as he realized that there were some curves there that definitely HADN'T been there before, before quickly looking back up at her face and chuckling a little nervously. "..._too much_. Um..." He faltered. "personality wise, I mean." He felt his cheeks get hotter, and he couldn't help but smack himself mentally. "Uh-uh, I mean, you're... you... I just never really pictured you as the type to wear, um, lip gloss... B-But, I just mean... I..."

Helga couldn't help but giggle slightly at his obviously flustered state, something that wasn't lost on Arnold as he finally managed to shut up. She smiled at him, her arms now crossed over her chest and a slight blush on her cheeks that was only just starting to fade. "Arnold, in mine and your defense, you've been out here in the jungle swinging through the trees for a few years now. Things are bound to change a _little_. So yes, I have been trying to be a little more 'feminine' nowadays. Rhonda wouldn't shut her trap so I figured I'd go ahead and give it a shot... _Glad you noticed_." She fluttered her eyelashes at him jokingly, having said this final addition in a much more feminine, light voice.

Arnold blushed, though he was feeling highly grateful to her for cutting him off before anything else embarrassing could slip from his mouth. He smiled at her, licking his lips a little, and unintentionally coming across a very interesting flavor now on his taste buds. He smacked his lips a little quietly, before raising an eyebrow at her. "Raspberry, Helga?" He asked in an amused voice, his arms crossed over his chest.

She blushed, before shrugging her shoulders at him, and a devious gleam shining in her eyes. "It was a gift..." She smirked. "from Phil." She snickered a little, before winking at him.

Arnold snickered along with her, before leaning forward slightly with half-lidded eyes. "Never eat raspberries, right?"

She smirked at him, not making any move to back away from him, and only nodded.

"Well then..." He smirked. "I guess that's some advice I'll have to respectfully decline." And with that, he pressed his lips tenderly against hers, his hands resting just above her hips, gently.

She responded wholeheartedly, wrapping her arms around his neck and melting into him.

Arnold's arms snaked around her more and more as the kiss continued, until they were wrapped around her fully, and he was feeling himself getting more and more lost in the kiss. He soon felt Helga suddenly begin to push his shoulders back, though, effectively causing him to release her soft lips from his own. She gave him a remorseful look. "Arnold, you know I want this more than anything, but..." She bit her lip, blue eyes shifting away, as he couldn't help but find the whole display rather adorable. She sighed then, snapping him out of his dazed thoughts. She allowed her arms to re-wrap themselves around his neck, and rest there, as she continued with what she was saying, "You live _here_, Arnold, and I live in _Hillwood_. Hillwood and San Lorenzo are really far away from eachother. I don't think-"

He pressed a finger against her lips, silencing her, as he just gave her a small smile. "I know it's far away, but I'd really like to try, if you will. I mean, we can write, there's the occasional call... I've even got a computer hooked up in my room here, so we could e-mail eachother too." Seeing her doubtful look, he sighed. "Helga, I know it'll be hard, but all I'm asking is that you try. I think it's safe to say I'm not going to stop loving you. I've been here for how long, without any sort of communication from you, and I still love you?" His eyes sparkled. "So, what do ya say?" He smiled one of his famous half-smiles, and Helga couldn't help but feel like everything really would work out between them if they just tried. So, she sighed lightly, before gazing back up at him with a half-hearted smile.

"Okay, Football Head, why not?"

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**A/N: I feel it is pointless for me to write beyond this point. We all know that everything works out and they eventually get married and have four wonderful kids. :D Because that's the way everything works in my 'Happy Dream World of Perfection'. As long as Arnold and Helga are together, all is right with the world. :D Well, in MY world anyway. XD**

**Anyway, this is just me trying to get over my lazy-lazeness in the writing department that has been the effect of my schooling lately. The next thing I'll be posting will probably be the next chappie of "Hypnotizing Helga", and then "Brainy's Confession", and then I'll probably have to hand-cuff my hands to the keyboard so I can finally get the next chapter of "Match Maker" up. XD I don't know why it's so hard for me to write for that. Maybe it's just from all the pressure everyone's been putting on me to finally get that done. Yes, when people say that I simply MUST do something, I do the opposite. -_- I gotta get over that... *Slaps self silly***

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed. Please review, my wonderful readers! A little encouragement will probably help me in my future attempts at finishing what I've started. XD**

**REVIEW!**

**...Please?**

**No...?**

***Pouts***


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